4-year-old found safe after wandering 5 miles from Oregon state park
A 4-year-old girl is recovering after search crews found her nearly five miles from where she became separated from her family. The child disappeared on July 4 at Cape Lookout State Park during the Fourth of July holiday. Her disappearance triggered an extensive search effort coordinated by Oregon State Parks rangers, the Tillamook County Sheriff’s […]
Pacific Northwest pizza franchisee files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
One of the largest operators of Mountain Mike’s Pizza restaurants in Oregon has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, even as the pizza chain continues expanding across the country. Medford-based Rogue Fare LLC, which operates five Mountain Mike’s Pizza restaurants in Southern Oregon, filed for bankruptcy on July 1. The filing applies to the franchise operator […]
Controversial plan to kill 450,000 barred owls across the Pacific Northwest may already be underway
A controversial federal plan to remove up to 450,000 barred owls across Oregon, Washington, and California appears to be moving forward, even as legal challenges continue in federal court. The effort is designed to help protect northern spotted owls, a federally threatened species that wildlife officials say has declined in part because of competition from […]
Portland writer wins 2026 James Beard Media Award
A Portland writer is among the winners of the 2026 James Beard Media Awards, one of the food industry’s highest honors. Erica Berry, a Portland-based author and essayist, won the James Beard Journalism Award in the Personal Essay category for her piece, “Intuitive Eating: On Poison, Pleasure, and Trust,” published in Orion Magazine. The James […]
Volunteers carry protected frogs across an Oregon highway
For the past 13 years, each winter in northwest Portland sees dozens of volunteers gather along a high-traffic highway with buckets, headlamps and reflective vests labeled “FROGS.” Their mission is simple: help northern red-legged frogs safely cross busy Highway 30. Every year during the winter months, these volunteers return to the bluff overlooking Highway 30 […]
Oregon National Guard site becomes a haven for burrowing owls
In eastern Oregon’s high desert, a small conservation effort at the Rees Training Center has grown into one of the nation’s most successful burrowing owl colonies.
Puffin License Plates are coming to Oregon in 2026: Here’s how to order
The Puffin specialty license plate is expected to be available for Oregonians to order in Fall 2026. The Oregon Coast Aquarium confirmed that all 3,000 required prepaid vouchers have been sold, clearing the final hurdle needed for the plate to be manufactured. The effort was powered by early supporters across the state who purchased vouchers […]
This Oregon Food Truck competed on Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race”
Fat Kid Food Co., a popular food truck in Oregon, represented the state in 2025 when it appeared on Food Network’s hit series The Great Food Truck Race. The Southern Oregon food truck started as a former ambulance before becoming one of the area’s most celebrated places to eat after it represented Oregon in Season […]
Portland ranks as one of the worst cities for allergies
Portland was named in a 2025 study that examined which U.S. cities struggled most with allergies that year. The 2025 Allergy Capitals report from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reviewed 100 of the most populated metropolitan areas in the country, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Each city was evaluated based on pollen scores, over-the-counter […]
Yachats becomes first ‘Bird City’ on the Pacific Coast
Visitors driving into the small coastal town of Yachats may notice something new along U.S. Highway 101. New signs welcoming travelers to a designated “Bird City” mark the community as the first on the Pacific Coast to receive the conservation honor. Seven Capes Bird Alliance, a coastal branch of the Bird Alliance of Oregon, began […]